How do we, as human beings, become addicted? How do our bodies play into our social behaviors? A cigarette, for example, has nicotine, which our bodies will physically crave. Opium, whether it is in the form of painkillers or heroin can have addictive qualities as well, but marijuana doesn’t have the physical component that makes it addictive. So, why do potheads exist? Repeat pot smokers, according to Becker, need to be introduced not only to the drug, but the proper social circumstances when they initially try it. There is a certain expectation already set up when a person tries pot, especially in a social situation. The experience is social construction, it is the atmosphere around you that really gives you the good feeling and the act of smoking the marijuana is just a vehicle to get to that good feeling.
One of the main points that Becker seems to be getting to is that the body and mind are somehow connected. (Imagine that!) So, if your mind is having a good time, for instance, you are chilling with your pals, shooting the shit, and just having a good time, your body is going to react to that. As a subject, it is always a possibility to be shaped by the object, in this case marijuana is the object (whether it is a bong, a joint, or however else you use it) and it is shaping how your body reacts in that situation. To take another example, going out to the bar for the first time with your friends can determine whether you will come back. (Being under the influence of alcohol can be really fun or downright terrifying, it all depends on your surroundings.) If you go to the bar with your friends and you drink and have a good time you are far more likely to go back and do it all again than if you went out, got trashed, had a miserable time, and woke up with a nasty hangover, you might think twice before coming back. Your body practices are shaped by your social practices to the point where you can have physical reactions (pleasurable or painful) to the circumstances or an object. It is entirely logical for your body to make associations with what it finds pleasurable or painful so the next time you encounter something associated with a pleasurable experience your body knows what to expect.
